Georgia Schools Roll Out Phone Bans, AI Scanners, and New Campuses for 2025-26 School Year
GEORGIA — From locked phone pouches to AI-powered weapons detectors, students across Georgia are returning to schools that look and feel dramatically different in the 2025–26 school year. A slate of statewide mandates and district-level changes are transforming how schools operate — especially when it comes to technology, safety, and facilities.
Phone Restrictions Expand Under New State Law
One of the most visible changes comes from the “Distraction-Free School Act,” a new state law that bans student phone use during class unless explicitly permitted by a teacher. Districts are tasked with creating their own enforcement policies, and some are going even further than the baseline requirement.
In Fulton County, for instance, all middle and high school students are now required to place their phones in Yondr pouches — magnetic-lock bags that students keep with them but cannot open until school ends.
Other districts, like Gwinnett, Cobb, and Cherokee, are also cracking down on phone usage. Gwinnett has banned phone use for middle schoolers throughout the school day, including lunch, and other counties are tightening enforcement policies district-wide.
AI Security Scanners in Schools Statewide
To address safety concerns, school systems are also investing in Evolv weapons detectors, which use artificial intelligence to identify potential threats as students enter campus. These high-tech scanners are being rolled out across many Georgia districts:
- Fulton County: Installed in all high schools and some middle schools
- Cobb County: Now active in all middle and high schools
- Gwinnett County: Scanners added to every high school
- Cherokee County: Deploying across middle and high schools this fall
In addition, several metro districts are expanding video surveillance, improving secured entrances, and conducting updated safety drills.
New and Rebuilt School Campuses Open Across the State
As part of Georgia’s broader investment in education, a number of new or renovated school buildings are opening for the 2025-26 school year:
- Fulton County: Launches the new Fulton Academy for Career and Exploration in College Park, replacing McClarin High
- Cobb County: Debuts a new Eastvalley Elementary facility
- Gwinnett County: Reopens Central Gwinnett High after a full rebuild
- Cherokee County: Opens a new elementary school in Hickory Flat
- Clayton County: Unveils two new elementary campuses in Riverdale and Lovejoy
- DeKalb County: Introduces a rebuilt Cross Keys High School and the new Indian Creek Elementary
- Atlanta Public Schools: Moves Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy into a new building
Many of these upgrades follow parent and community concerns over aging facilities and the need for modern, secure environments.
Other Major District Shifts This Year
In addition to structural upgrades and tech changes, other Georgia districts are enacting new educational and operational reforms:
- Coweta, Henry, Forsyth, and Fayette Counties are expanding school surveillance, updating security drills, and launching new STEM initiatives.
- Some districts are also adjusting start times and creating more structured policies around device use and academic tech integration.
Is your child’s school adopting stricter phone rules or new tech this year? Share your district’s changes and concerns at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
